Book Review :: A Curse of Ash and Embers, by Jo Spurrier

A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier
ISBN: 9781460756331
Series: Tales of the Blackbone Witches #1
on 2018-09-24
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Source: HarperCollins NZ
Find at Harper Collins NZ
Goodreads

Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters.

But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess.

When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep.

Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not.
And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home.

Last updated on 14 October 2023

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The Story: A Curse of Ash and Embers

A mysterious letter arrives for Elodie one day requesting that she become a maid in a house in another town, and despite the fact that neither her mother nor her step-father know anything about it, Elodie leaves her siblings and makes her way to Black Oak Cottage. When she arrives, it’s not what she expected. It’s dark and dingy, and the woman inside is odd and poorly, and has no idea where the letter came from. But Elodie makes the most of it and thinks she was sent there for a reason, so she stays.

It turns out that Aleida Blackbone, the woman, is a witch, and soon Elodie is thrown in the deep end with monsters, strange plants, broken houses, mystical creatures, a cute boy, and the recently deceased Gyssha Blackbone looming over everything that happens in the house.

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My thoughts on A Curse of Ash and Embers

The main winner of A Curse of Ash and Embers for me was the characters. Elodie’s character development was superb; she goes from a shy, emotionally drained girl whose energy seems to be leaking away at her horrible home situation, to a more confident young woman who starts to take control. She arrives at Black Oak Cottage not knowing what to expect, and while it’s far more dramatic and magical than she ever thought it would be, she makes the most of her situation and starts to make herself useful. Her relationship with Aleida is more sisterly or mentor-like than mother-like, and I can really see that bond grow in the books to come. The other characters were all very different and interesting in their own ways, and are definitely ones that are likely to show up again in future books.

The pace of the book was pretty slow going, with very little movement around the setting. It’s mostly set around the cottage, with a few escapades out into the surrounding land. I did struggle at times which the slow plod, but it was still an enjoyable tale. The monsters and the world are excellently written, and there’s a lot more that could be done in that respect. It’s definitely a young adult fantasy with a splash of supernatural thrown in.

While A Curse of Ash and Embers is the beginning of a new series by Jo Spurrier, I feel like you could read it as a stand-alone if you didn’t want to continue. The ending was such that you’re looking forward to a second book, but at the same time, you could just leave it there and feel happy with that decision. No word at the moment on when book two will be released.

Have you read A Curse of Ash and Embers yet? Do you plan to? 

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I received this book for free from HarperCollins NZ in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.